Combined electric dry shaver and travel case

ABSTRACT

A COMPACT TRAVEL CASE FOR AN ELECTRIC DRY SHAVER IS PROVIDED HAVING A DUAL-SECTIONED, REMOVABLY INTERLOCKED HOUSING WHEREIN THE SHAVER ITSELF SERVES AS AN INTEGRAL PORTION OF THE TRAVEL CASE WHEN NOT IN USE, THEREBY CONSTITUTING ONE OF THE SECTIONS, AND THE OTHER SECTION, WHICH PROTECTS THE SHAVER HEAD, IS FORMED WITH A COMPARTMENT TO ACCEPT AND STORE THE SHAVER LINE CORD. A SAFETY TAB IS ALSO PROVIDED ON THE TRAVEL CASE TO LOCK THE SHAVER HEAD RELEASE MECHANISM WHILE THE TWO SECTIONS OF THE TRAVEL CASE ARE JOINED IN ORDER TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL DISENGAGEMENT OF THE SHAVER HEAD ASSEMBLY.

Feb. 16, 1971 w. RAKOCY ETAL 3,562,905

COMBINED ELECTRIC DRY SHAVER AND TRAVEL CASE Filed Sept. 12. 1968 TlE1-l. v l M g T INVENTORS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,562,905 COMBINED ELECTRIC DRY SHAVER AND TRAVEL CASE William Rakocy, Clifton, and Seymour Rappoport,

Rumson, N.J., assignors to Ronson Corporation, Woodbridge, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 759,277 Int. Cl. B261) 19/38 U.S. Cl. 34 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A compact travel case for an electric dry shaver is provided having a dual-sectioned, removably interlocked housing wherein the shaver itself serves as an integral portion of the travel case when not in use, thereby constituting one of the sections, and the other section, which protects the shaver head, is formed with a compartment to accept and store the shaver line cord. A safety tab is also provided on the travel case to lock the shaver head release mechanism while the two sections of the travel case are joined in order to prevent accidental disengagement of the shaver head assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to cases employed for the transportation, storage and convenient handling of electric shavers and, more particularly, to a travel case wherein the shaver is integral with and forms a portion of the travel case itself when not in use.

Description of the prior art The prior art is replete with travel cases designed for the transportation, storage and handling of electric shavers. With very rare exception, these prior art travel cases are bulky, expensive and inetficient in use.

Generally, the prior art travel cases contain a raised platform or nest within which the shaver, its head covered by a separate protective cap, is placed. The platform is usually a vacuum formed vinyl material which is, in turn, often draped or covered with velvet or a velveteen material. A separate nest or compartment is provided for storage of the shaver line cord. The costs of the materials used in these prior art travel cases and the resultant assembly costs appreciably add to the costs of the shaver itself.

In use, these prior art travel cases have exhibited deficiencies of one kind or another. In addition to the cost factor previously noted, the prior art travel cases were volumetrically inefiicient and needlessly occupied space generally required by the travelers. The actual use of the prior art travel case was further complicated by the careful and time consuming attention required in folding and then securing the folded line cord for insertion into the travel case.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive travel case for transporting, storing and handling an electric shaver.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive travel case for transporting, storing and handling an electric shaver which is compact and achieves a great degree of portability without any sacrifice in its protective capability.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive travel case for transporting, storing and handling an electric shaver, wherein the shaver itself forms a portion of the travel case.

3,562,905 Patented Feb. 16, 1971 ICC Still another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive travel case for transporting, storing and handling an electric shaver wherein the shaver and its line cord can be quickly stored.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive travel case for transporting, storing and handling an electric shaver which provides a high degree of protection for the shaver, but is simple to use.

Accordingly, there is provided a travel case for transporting, storing and handling an electric shaver wherein the shaver is an integral portion or first section of the travel case. A protective cover or second section is locked onto the shaver, by appropriate latching means, and is provided with a compartment in which the shaver line cord can be swiftly and easily stored. An appropriately shaped recess is formed in the protective cover section to guard the shaver head. In addition, a safety tab is connected to the protective cover and serves to automatically prevent accidental disengagement of the shaver head While the two sections are latched together.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combined electric shaver and travel case embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view, partly in section taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 3 showing the shaver section of the travel case interlocked with the protective cover section, the latter section containing the shaver line cord;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals have been used in the several views for like parts,

FIG. 1 shows a travel case for transporting, storing and handling an electric dry shaver according to the present invention. The travel case is comprised of a protective cover or upper section 10 and a shaver or lower section 11.

The protective cover section 10 has a line cord storage compartment 12 which is capped by a cover 13. Cover 13 is connected to the protective cover section 10 by means of a hinge 14. A mirror 15 can be fitted inside cover 13 for the convenience of the user. An arcuately shaped spring '16 is captured, in a well known manner, between protective cover section 10 and cover 13. The spring 16 serves to hold the cover 13 in a fully open position, as shown in FIG. 3 in dotted lines, when desired by the user and serves, as well, to positively snap cover 13 closed when desired.

Side walls 17 and 18, front wall 19, rear wall 20 and bottom wall 21, the latter being generally perpendicular to walls 17, 18, 19 and 20, define the line cord storage compartment 12 of the protective cover section 10. Bottom wall 21 is recessed below the lower ends of side walls 17 and 18, front wall 19 and rear wall 20, as shown in FIG. 3, thereby forming a trough 22 which extends from side wall -17 to side wall 18. As shown in FIG. 3, the trough 22 has a cross-sectional U shape. A slot 23 is cut in the rear wall 20, for a purpose to be hereinafter described, and extends, generally parallel to bottom wall 21, from side wall 17 to side wall 18. The slot 23 is externally covered by a thin nameplate 24.

A latch 25 is formed integral with and extends parallel to and beyond the lower edge of front wall 19, as shown in FIG. 4. The latch 25 has a head portion 26 which is shaped like a right-angle triangle. The sloping surface of the head portion 26 describes a camming surface 27 which faces rear wall 20. The camming surface 27 slopes upwardly and inwardly towards trough 22. Immediately below the head portion 26 is a relatively narrow neck section 2 8.

A safety tab 29 is formed integral with and extends parallel to and beyond the lower edge of side wall 17, as shown in FIG. 5. The safety tab 29 is formed as an extension of the inner surface of side wall 17, but its thickness is less than that of the side wall 17, thereby forming shoulder 30.

The shaver section 11 of the travel case consists of an electric shaver (not fully shown) mounted within a jacket 31 which terminates in a rectangularly shaped collar 32, leaving the shaver head 33 exposed. The jacket 31 is formed to smoothly mate with the edges of the protective cover section and is comprised of side walls 17' and 18, front wall 19 and rear wall 20, all of which correspond to like walls of the protective cover section 10. A ramped depression 34 is formed in front wall 19', being deepest near the upper edge of the front wall 19, and linearly rises therefrom to terminate flush with the surface of front wall 19'.

For purposes of internal cleaning, the shaver is provided with a shaver head release mechanism, which is activated by button 35 which protrudes through jacket 31 on side wall 17'. As shown in FIG. 5, button 35 is forced outwardly by helical spring 36 until its internal shoulder 37 engages and is restrained by the internal surface of side wall 17'. The resultant rest position of button 35 exposes notch 38 cut in its upper edge. Spring 36 also urges latch 39 and inner protuberance 40 into engagement. The other end of the shaving head 33 is held fast in a like manner by corresponding latch and protuberance members (not shown).

On the side facing rear wall 20', the shaver head 33 is equipped with a sideburn and mustache trimmer 41 which extends across the width of shaver head 33. The operation of and elements comprising trimmer 41 are described in US. Pat No. 2,873,520, assigned to the same assignee as this application.

The shaver section 11 is also fitted with a recessed male plug (not shown) for electrical connection of the shaver and an on-off switch (not shown). A line cord 42 is also provided.

In operation, after the user finishes using his shaver, he disconnects the line cord 42 from the shaver and places it in the line cord storage compartment 12, as shown in FIG. 2. Since no elastic band is necessary to secure the line cord 42, it is merely folded and placed in its storage compartment 12 with a minimum waste of time and effort. After the cover 13 is snapped closed, the travel case is ready for final assembly.

The protective cover section 10 and the shaver section 11 are positioned with the trough 22 and the shaver head 33 facing each other with the corresponding walls of each section matched. As the two sections are brought closer, the rear walls, 20 and 20', of each section are tilted slightly towards each other. This permits the trimmer 41 to find purchase in slot 23. Once this occurs, the two sections are straightened out, whereupon camming surface 27 contacts the lower edge of front wall 19'. The resultant camming action, in the face of continued pressure, lifts latch head 26 over the edge of front wall 19' and into the ramped depression 34. The latch 25, thus, is secured in depression 32 with the lower edge of front wall 19 held fast in its necked section 28. Since the locking action of latch urges trimmer 41 deeper and more securely into slot 23, the travel case will not accidentally open during transportation. Simultaneously with the 7 tab 29 prevents the movement of button 35 and accidental actuation of the shaver head release mechanism.

To prepare the shaver for use, the user need only loosen latch 25 with his thumbnail and tilt the two sections slightly to remove latch 25 from the depression 34 and trimmer 41 from slot 23, whereupon the shaver is ready for use as soon as electrical connection is made.

It may also be unnecessary, in view of the batteryoperated cordless shaver now coming into vogue, to have a line cord storage compartment. With these newer type shavers, the protective cover section would consist only of a trough which would be interlocked to the shaver section in the manner previously described.

Having shown and described in the drawings and specification the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that various changes thereto may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the follow ing claims,

What is claimed is:

1. A combined electric dry shaver and travel case which comprises:

(a) walls forming a section containing the electric dry shaver;

(b) walls forming a mating protective cover section having a recessed trough formed therein at its mating end for the reception of the shaver head; and

(c) means for removably mating the protective cover section and the shaver section wherein the protective cover section has a compartment for the storage of an electrical line cord formed therein above the recessed trough, the compartment being covered by a movably mounted lid at the non-mating end of the protective cover section.

2. A combined electric dry shaver and travel case which comprises:

(a) walls forming a section containing the electric dry shaver;

(b) walls forming a mating protective cover section having a recessed trough formed therein at its mating end for the reception of the shaver head; and

(0) means for removably mating the protective cover section and the shaver section wherein the protective cover section has a compartment for the storage of an electrical line cord formed therein above the recessed trough, the compartment being covered by a movably mounted lid at the non-mating end of the protective cover section wherein the mating means comprises,

(d) a wall of the shaver section having a depression formed in the outer surface thereof; and

(e) a resilient latch extending from the wall of the protective cover section corresponding to the depression containing wall of the shaver section, the latch being positioned an dimensioned to snugly fit within the depression.

3. The travel case according to claim 2 wherein the mating means further comprises:

(a) a wall of the protective cover section, other than the wall from which the latch extends, having a longitudinal slot cut therein, within that portion of the wall which forms part of the recessed trough; and

(b) a longitudinal protuberance mounted on the shaver section positioned and dimensioned to be removably locked within the slot.

4. The travel case according to claim 3 wherein the longitudinal protuberance comprises an auxiliary long hair trimmer mounted on the shaver section.

5. The travel case according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 which further comprises:

(a) a shaver head release mechanism mounted within the shaver section;

(b) actuating means for operating the shaver head release mechanism; and

6 (0) safety means for preventing actuation of the expOsed portion having a notch cut therein facing shaver head release mechanism while the shaver the mating end of the shaver section, the internal and protective cover sections are latched together. portion located in communication with the shaver 6. A combined electric dry shaver and travel case head release mechanism and having a shoulder located thereupon to prevent passage of the button which comprises:

from the shaver section and the safety means com- (a) walls forming a section containing the electric dry shaver; prises a tab extending from the wall of the protec- (b) walls forming a mating protective cover section tive cover section corresponding to the Wall of the having a recessed trough formed therein at its mating shaver section through which the button extends, end for the reception of the shaver head; and 10 the tab being positioned and dimensioned to fit the (0) means for removably mating the protective cover notch of the button thereby preventing an accidental section and the shaver section, and inward movement of the button while the shaver and (d) a shaver head release mechanism mounted within protective cover sections are latched together.

the shaver section; (e) actuating means for operating the shaver head 15 Re s Cited release mechanism; and UNITED STATES PATENTS (f) safety means for preventing actuation of the 2,838,835 6/1958 lepson shaver head release mechanism while the shaver and protective cover sections are latched together OTHELLM SIMPSON Primary Examiner wherein the actuating means comprises a button 20 movably mounted within and normally biased out- CL wardly from the shaver section, partially extending 206 16 therefrom and partially situated therewithin, the 

